Final Thoughts on Kona

It is hard to believe, but 2 weeks have passed since the big race. I have had several people push me for a follow up blog post so here we go:

I can’t get the entire two week experience out of my head. Often, when you have thought about something for over 12 months, you find that expectations do not match up to reality. On this trip, from the race to the vacation afterwards, we exceeded every possible expectation we had. Now, everyone wants to go back and enjoy Kona!

I really enjoyed spending time with my family. The uninterrupted time I got to spend with my wife, kids, parents, sister and aunt was incredible. I just loved seeing everyone having the time of their life, being active, enjoying Kona and enjoying the entire experience. I think everyone found something special on the Big Island to grab onto that provided for a life changing experience. Our photos speak for themselves.

To come clean, I spent a lot of money in the merchandise tent. People have asked how much, but let’s just say I have enough Ironman merchandise to dress me for any occasion.

I not only went to Lava Java, I hung out there the week after the race like a local. On Thursday, I sat there with Shani having breakfast, watching the waves, drinking Kona coffee and listened to a musician sing some Jack Johnson songs while playing his ukelele. At that moment, I realized just how awesome the vacation was and Shani and I both agreed that life does not get much better than that.On Wednesday night, I took my son to swim with Manta Rays. The experience was magical. Watch the video and see these amazing creatures for yourself.

I learned that my wife is a good stand up paddle boarder. She held nothing back when she stood up on her board, started paddling out into the ocean and left me for sharks as I tried to keep my balance. We now find ourselves considering a paddle board of our own.Want a great beer to drink? Try Kona Brewery’s Waialua Wheat. Yes, I am wheat free, but is it really cheating if I drink beer? Drink one of these and you will see why I found one of these in my hand every afternoon while in Kona.

Shani did her best to film parts of the race. Here is a short video showing that awesome day.

Lastly, we finished up the week with an awesome sunset sail, thanks to my Aunt Katherine. We saw a beautiful sunset, enjoyed some mai-tai’s and I decided to show off my permanent reminder of the big day!So what is next? I want to go back in 2011. To do that, I have to re-qualify again at another Ironman race and earn my slot to go back. I look forward to my next journey as I continue to compete in this awesome sport.